Thunder and Shadow/Chapter 11
Chapter description :Alderpaw and his mentor, Jayfeather, are at a Gathering. As Alderpaw fidgets beside Jayfeather, the blind gray tom hisses for Alderpaw to sit still. Bramblestar is padding between everyone, greeting old allies. Onestar is already sitting on the great oak, watching the Clans, as Mistystar talks with the deputies. Alderpaw sees Mistystar purr as his mother, Squirrelflight, nods towards a group of apprentices, who are showing off battle moves to each other. Alderpaw wishes he were with them, sharing Clan gossip. He wonders if he has to sit here, and be solemn and serious like Kestrelflight, Mothwing, and Willowshine, just because he was a medicine cat apprentice. He thinks that if he has to be an apprentice for any longer, he wonders if he can have any fun. He glances at his sister, Sparkpelt. He notes that it is her first Gathering as a warrior. :She sits beside Cherryfall, her chest puffed out with pride. Her green eyes sparkle as she gazes at other cats. Their father, Bramblestar, pads over to her side, and touches his muzzle fondly to her head. Alderpaw ignores the prickle of envy in his paws, knowing that he is proud of Sparkpelt too. He tastes the air for ShadowClan's scent. He notes that they're late. He wonders, eagerly if Needlepaw will come. Alderpaw also hopes that she wasn't still in trouble for letting Violetkit leaving camp. He adds to himself that maybe if he couldn't ask Needlepaw, he could ask Sleekpaw. Alderpaw stiffens as Mintfur, a RiverClan warrior jerks his gaze towards the edge of the clearing. :Alderpaw notes that the ShadowClan cats look battle-worn. Rowanstar has a cut above his eye, Crowfrost's pelt shows signs of scratches, and Wasptail is limping. He realizes that Needlepaw nor Sleekpaw are there. He thinks that maybe Strikepaw or Yarrowpaw can tell him. Alderpaw then catches sight of Leafpool. He bounds over to her, as he realizes that he can ask her. As he gets nearer to her, he realizes that her eyes are dark with worry. Puddlepaw pads behind her, tail down. Alderpaw asks them if something happened. Leafpool lowers her gaze, and pads past him, as she says that Rowanstar will share the news. :Anxiety flashes through him, as he asks if Violetkit is okay. Leafpool replies that she looked fine the last time she had seen her, as she sits by Mothwing, and then looks away. Alderpaw stares at her confused, as she asks her what she means. Jayfeather shooes the young tom back to his place, and orders him to sit down and be quiet. Rowanstar jumps on top of a branch next to Onestar. Onestar shoots him a hostile glance, and shuffles away from the ShadowClan leader. Bramblestar leaves Sparkpelt, and hurries to the oak. Mistystar heaves herself up on top of it. Everyone quiets down, as all the leaders take their place. :Bramblestar begins, saying that they have good weather, and that StarClan has blessed them. Rowanstar grunts dismissively, saying that ThunderClan always think they're blessed, even when they're starving in leaf-bare. Mistystar points out that it's not leaf-bare yet, and that they must be thankful that prey is still running well. Onestar sneers that prey is always running, or swimming, in Riverclan. Mistystar corrects him, saying that it's not if the river freezes. Alderpaw wonders why all the leaders are so prickly tonight. Rowanstar raises his head, and says that ShadowClan has two new warriors, Strikestone, and Yarrowleaf. The Clan cats cheer the name of the new ShadowClan warriors. :Mistystar raises her voice, and says that RiverClan also has new warriors, Shadepelt and Foxnose. Bramblestar adds that ThunderClan has a new warrior, Sparkpelt. The Clan cats cheer the name of all the new warriors. Sparkpelt looks around, and her pelt fluffs out in excitement. Alderpaw raises his voice, wanting to make sure that she heard him cheering. She catches his eye, and her gaze lights up happiness. Pride swells in Alderpaw's chest as he cheers louder. As Jayfeather remains silent, Alderpaw nudges him, and hisses in his mentor's ear that medicine cats are allowed to cheer. The gray tom asks why he should cheer, and adds that more warriors means more wounds, and more work for him. :Alderpaw glances at Leafpool, expecting her to chide Jayfeather for being gloomy, but the brown tabby she-cat is chanting, her expression blank. His cheer dies in his throat, as he gazes across the cheering cats. He realizes that Sleekpaw and Juniperpaw should be getting their warrior names too. He wonders if they failed the assessment. He scans the field, but there's no sign of the two apprentices. Alderpaw shifts uneasily, and looks towards Rowanstar as the Clans fall silent. Rowanstar gazes gravely at the Clans. He says that the rogues that attacked WindClan are living on the edge of their border, that they share with ThunderClan. :Brackenfur asks why they don't just chase them off. Breezepelt shows his teeth, and hisses that they're murderers. Crowfeather lifts his muzzle, and hisses that they should join forces and drive them away. Rowanstar adds that they asked to join ShadowClan, and brought gifts of prey, and that he turned them away. Oatclaw lashes his tail, and exclaims how dare they. Sparkpelt flattens her ears, and hisses that they could never be Clan cats. Rowanstar repeats that he turned them away, fur prickling along his spine. He adds that some of their apprentices chose to join the group of rogues. The Clans stare at him in shocked silence. He adds that they took Violetkit with them. :Mistystar jerks her muzzle towards him, and exclaims that they took the kit from the prophecy. Rowanstar scowls and says that they were wrong about the prophecy. He adds that Violetkit and Twigkit are just normal kits, and that Needlepaw found her. He adds that why wouldn't Needlepaw take her. Alderpaw freezes as he realizes that Needlepaw joined the rogues. Bramblestar is growling, and his angry gaze is fixed on Rowanstar. The amber eyed, tabby exclaims that he let a vulnerable kit join a group of rogues. He adds that he should have known Violetkit wouldn't have been safe in ShadowClan. Mothwing calls that they need to get her back. :Mintfur asks how they'll clear the sky without Violetkit. Squirrelflight flicks her tail angrily, and says to let the sky take care of itself, and that they must rescue Violetkit. Mews of agreement come from the clearing, but Alderpaw is wondering what he'll tell Violetkit's sister, Twigkit. He thinks that Twigkit will never forgive him. Alderpaw swallows back the panic, and thinks he'll tell Twigkit everything will be okay, and that they'll get Violetkit back. Leafpool slides in beside Alderpaw, and says that she's sorry she couldn't tell him, but that it was Rowanstar's news to tell. She adds that whatever happens to Violetkit Needlepaw will protect her. :Alderpaw meets the brown she-cat's gaze, shaking. He asks what Needlepaw could do against a group of rogues. His heart lurches as Leafpool stares back at him, wordlessly. Bramblestar asks Rowanstar what he's going to do about this. Rowanstar replies that they attacked the rogues last night, and that they hoped the apprentices would come back to them, if they saw them fighting for them. Alderpaw realizes that Rowanstar seems frightened. Rowanstar continues that they didn't, but one apprentice, and two warriors joined them. Onestar is bristling with rage as he demands who. Rowanstar stares at his paws, as he names off Beepaw, Berryheart, and Cloverfoot. Onestar thrusts his muzzle in the ginger tom's face, and says how dare he call himself a leader, when he can't even control his own Clan. :Rowanstar's meow is thick with emotion as he meows that they'll come back, and that they're young and wrong-headed, but they'll realize their mistake, and come back. Bramblestar's mew softens as he says that maybe he's right. Alderpaw sees pity in the ThunderClan leader's eyes. Onestar shows his teeth, and says that if the rogues are stealing cats, they'll obviously steal prey too. Mistystar glares at the brown tabby, and says that they're as far from WindClan's border as they can possibly be, and that he won't need to worry about his precious rabbits. Onestar hisses that, there's also no reason for her to worry about her fish. :Bramblestar yowls that it affects them all, and that Violetkit is part of the prophecy. Rowanstar replies that so he says. Mistystar ignores the ShadowClan leader, and faces Bramblestar, and says that they can't risk trying to rescue her, and that the rogues could easily kill her if they tried. Bramblestar decides that they must wait, then. Onestar's hackles lift as he hisses that they're just going to do nothing. He says that those rogues killed his Clanmate. Alderpaw adds to himself darkly, that they also took one of his lives, and drove SkyClan from the gorge. Onestar goes on that they should attack, and drive them as far from the lake as possible. Rowanstar says that he doesn't want to fight his Clanmates. Bramblestar meets Rowanstar's gaze sympathetically, and says that he understands. :He adds that they can't risk Violetkit's life by attacking. Onestar growls, mewing that there's nothing more to say. He jumps down off of the great oak. He signals for Harespring and the rest of his Clanmates to follow him. Bramblestar jumps down from the great oak, and begins to lead ThunderClan home. Alderpaw doesn't want to follow, because going home means telling Twigkit that her sister is with the rogues. Characters Major *Onestar *Rowanstar }} Minor *Bramblestar *Mistystar *Squirrelflight *Kestrelflight *Mothwing *Willowshine *Sparkpelt *Cherryfall *Mintfur *Crowfrost *Wasptail *Yarrowleaf *Strikestone *Leafpool *Puddlepaw *Shadepelt *Foxnose *Brackenfur *Breezepelt *Crowfeather *Oatclaw *Harespring }} Mentioned *Violetkit *Twigkit *Sleekpaw *Juniperpaw *Beepaw *Berryheart *Cloverfoot }} Notes and references Category:Thunder and Shadow Category:Chapter subpages Category:A Vision of Shadows arc